


Not Those Showgirls

by Rioghna



Series: 7 Days, 7 Prompts [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/M, One Shot, Sequins and feathers!verse, Tumblr Prompt, things kids say
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 08:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3440762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rioghna/pseuds/Rioghna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day Four-Seven Days, Seven prompts.  Tinuviel_undoniel prompted from the Sequins and Feathers 'verse<br/>'Henry saw Showgirls on TV once (before his parents turned it off) and thinks Belle is a dancer like that'. Well, it didn't quite end up that way and it took a turn away from me, biti hope it fits the bill.  ****kids say the darnedest things, so consider putting the coffee down****</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Those Showgirls

Not Those Showgirls

"Gold, is Belle with you?" Robert Gold looked at his mobile in confusion. His daughter in law was always brusque on the phone but rarely was she that brusque. 

"Hello to you too, Detective Swan," he replied sarcastically. It was his usual response to situations that caught him off guard, or any other situation for that matter. 

"Sorry, but I'm kind of in a hurry, and a bind. Now, is Belle with you or not?" Emma asked, a bit exasperated. 

"I'm just on my way to meet her, so..." he said.

"Good, can the two of you come over here, like as soon as possible?" she asked. 

"You need us to mind Henry?" he asked. He was getting more confused by the minute. Emma was clearly upset over something and it wasn't just the usual last minute need for a child minder. But she rarely bothered to inquire whether Belle would be with him, either she was or she wasn't, depending on schedule, and she had even volunteered to mind him herself once or twice. This was something else. And why was Emma asking him when she had Belle's number as well as his?

"Short version, yes, I need you to babysit. I've got to go in, this case is popping and they picked up our suspect. Bae is already gone to set up, he has that opening tonight. I'll give you the longer answer when you get here," she told him and practically hung up on him. He kept expecting her to say 'over and out', or whatever it was that modern police said over the radio these days. Certainly she had never learned to talk on the telephone like everyone else. 

He sighed. Not that they had any plans for the evening anyway. Besides, one of the things he loved about Belle was that she enjoyed spending time with his grandson as much as he did. In fact, with their wedding on the horizon, they had even had 'the discussion', the one about children of their own. He'd take the ribbing he knew he would be in for, if it would make her happy. But that was a thought for another time. 

As he expected, the change of plans bothered Belle not at all. "We can spend time with Henry," she said. "It's not as if we had plans for tonight. I was going to unpack a couple more boxes, that's all." She had finally given in six months ago and moved into Gold's brownstone with him. She had been slowly unpacking ever since. 

They arrived to find Emma with her phone to her ear. She just waved them in. Henry was nowhere in sight and the feeling that something wasn't quite right returned. 

"Henry's in his room," Emma said as soon as she got off the phone. "He's a little mad at me right now. He's been staying the last couple afternoons with his friend John and his brother down the hall since Tianna had to go back to New Orleans, her grandmother took a fall. I thought it was good, Wendy, the sister, is in high school and has always been responsible. She's watched him before when something came up. Anyway, I ran down to ask if she could watch him tonight and she was there with her boyfriend Peter, and his creepy friend Felix. Not only that, but they were all watching 'Showgirls'. I've called Mrs Darling already, because I know for a fact she is not allowed to have company while she is taking care of the boys, but I wasn't going to let him stay there."

"Fuckin' Hell," Gold replied under his breath. He didn't like the idea of his grandson being watched by a teenager much to begin with, though he had met the girl, and she'd seemed sensible. She'd usually just watched him for an hour or so when something came up. It was convenient, she was right down the hall, and one of her brothers was Henry's best friend. But this...having boys over and letting them watch a movie that he vaguely remember to be at the very least too racy for them, that was bad judgement. 

"That's why I asked about you, Belle. Henry's seen some of your costume pictures, and I think the movie confused him a little, not helped by 'Felix the future felon', who I know was saying some things in front of them that would get his hide tanned regardless of his age if he were ours, and I don't even believe in corporal punishment. That kid has a nasty mind and a nasty mouth. When we were coming back to the apartment he asked if I thought there were mean people where you were dancing, and were you safe, so..."

Belle nodded but before they could continue, Emma's phone began again. 

"Yes, I'm coming, right now. A little time in the box'll do him some good," she barked into the handset. The door behind them opened and Henry came out slowly, at least until he saw his grandfather and Belle, then he ran across the floor to them.

"Hey lad, hope you don't mind Belle and me for the evening," Gold said and leaned down to accept a hug from the five year old (five and a half, Henry always reminded him). 

"No, I guess not, Grandpa. I was just mad at Mom because we were gonna get to play Grand Thief Auto and have ice cream later." Three pairs of adult eyes widened. Gold could see that the only reason Emma wasn't already on her way to the other apartment with the intent to do something unfortunate to certain juvenile delinquents was the need to go to work, and the probability that the louts in question had already made themselves scarce. He also knew that this conversation wasn't over, as he wanted a piece of them for himself.

"Well, I can't give you that, but how about a movie and maybe some brownies?" Belle suggested. "After your homework, of course."

"Your special brownies?" Henry asked. "And Chinese for dinner?"

"We can open negotiations," Gold laughed. "I'll agree with the movie, the Chinese, if you do your homework first thing and no complaining."

"Something with vegetables," Emma said, as she gave her son a hug.

"And something with vegetables," his grandfather agreed. 

"I always do my homework," Henry responded. He was enjoying their usual game. "Two movies, and Belle's brownies."

Emma looked at Belle and rolled her eyes before turning to go. "Bye, kiddo," she said as she headed for the door. 

"One movie, one episode of that daft show with the fairies, and I read you a story," Gold countered.

"Fairly Odd Parents," Henry supplied. "Two episodes."

"One episode, and I'll let you lick the brownie bowl," Belle countered, getting into the action. "But you both have to help me clear up." 

"Ah, I had designs on the brownie bowl for meself," Gold said with feigned disappointment.

"Okay, one episode," Henry agreed. "And one story each," he said triumphantly. Having been rescued from two episodes of children's tele, they both agreed quickly.

"The deal is struck," Gold said and he and his grandson shook hands. 

 

Things went smoothly after that, at least for a while. Gold and Belle were both waiting for Henry to say something, anything, about the movie, or what happened when his mother showed up at the Darlings, but neither was going to press him. Robert supervised his homework, one worksheet on colours, spelling words, and reading, while Belle ran to the store to get what she needed for her special brownies. By the time she returned, Henry was reading aloud from the Chinese delivery menu. At her look, Gold shrugged. "Finished his book, and wanted to look at the menu. Besides, I forgot my reading glasses," he said, though Belle knew for certain that the case was in his top coat pocket. 

"Grandpa, what's this one?"

"Spell it for me, lad," he said turning his attention to the boy. 

"B-R-O-C-C-O-L-I...brosa...broka..."

"Broccoli."

"Chicken with broccoli. I like broccoli, and it's a vegetable," he said looking at his grandfather proudly. 

"Aye, it is."

 

It wasn't until they had finished dinner, endured one episode of 'Fairly Odd Parents', and were working on the brownies while 'The Lion King' played in the background that the subject finally emerged, helped on just a little by Belle. "So, it this as good as video games and ice cream?" she asked as he mixed the chocolate chips into the batter with a big wooden spoon. 

The boy stopped stirring for a moment and seemed to be giving the question serious consideration. "Better," he said. "I don't like the game very much, they use a lot of bad words that will get me in trouble if I say them. Plus they do things like hurting people, but the cars are cool."

"Then why were you upset with your mum?" Robert asked from his stool on the other side of the counter. He was just watching the proceedings, Henry having announced that he was big enough to help on his own. 

"'Cause I like playing with John and Michael, and ice cream. Wendy used to be okay too, for a girl, but then Peter and Felix started coming around. They aren't nice, and they call me 'short..." He paused and looked at his grandfather, lowering his voice. "You know, the bad word for poop," he said looking to establish that he understood without getting in trouble for saying it. Belle turned an interesting shade of pink as she turned her laugh into a rather convincing cough, while Gold just nodded, trying to hold his face still. "Cinnamon now?" he asked and Belle just nodded, not feeling safe opening her mouth yet. 

The batter was mixed and Belle sent Henry to sit on the other said of the bar with Gold, while she poured the batter in the pans and made tea for the adults. 

"So what else did you do with John and Michael today?" Gold asked. He was afraid to ask but at the same time, he wanted to know. 

"They put on a movie, it had dancers in it, like you, Belle, well, not like you...I'm not exactly sure," he said finally. 

"Why do you think they are like me?" she asked, passing a cup across the bar. She knew it was better to let him explain it himself, and then try to sort it without misunderstanding. 

"Well, they were pretty like you, and had fancy costumes like the ones in Grandpa's phone."

Belle looked at Robert with a raised eyebrow. He made a note to change the password on his phone, again. He had a complete set of pictures of Belle in all her costumes, which was the only place the boy could have seen them. At least they weren't particularly risqué. Not that Belle had never danced privately for him, but there were definitely no pictures of that. 

"Okay," Belle said neutrally. 

"But they were mean to each other and there were these mean men. Then one of the ladies did something to one of the other one, so she could get her...things," he said. Clearly he had at least understood some of the story. "Felix and Peter laughed when the lady fell and when I told them it wasn't nice to hurt other people, they said they were just ho's anyway so it didn't matter. I don't want you to get hurt or be a ho or anything, Belle," he said, looking at her with concern.

Gold, who had been drinking his tea at that exact moment began to choke and Belle thought that they might have an actual problem but slowly he managed to bring himself under control. "Henry," he said, still coughing. "I assure you that no one would ever accuse Belle of... that. Do you know what an...er...'ho' is?" 

"I think it's a bad girl, like the ones in the game, or the mean girls at school?"he replied uncertainly. 

"It is a very bad word for a girl or a woman," his grandfather told him carefully. He wasn't entirely sure that he had ever considered having to explain this to his grandson, and he wished intensely he could leave it to his son. He also had a soul deep desire to hunt down Peter and 'Felix the future felon', as Emma had called him, and show him the broadside of his cane. "And it's a word you should never use. Remember what your father said about using words when you aren't sure what they mean?"

"Not to, 'cause they might be bad," Henry said.

"Exactly."

"But Henry, you don't have to worry about bad people hurting me when I dance," Belle said, wanting to clear things up and reassure him that she wasn't in danger of...whatever happened in the movie. "It's kind of like what I do, but not really. Both of us have pretty costumes, but we don't have any mean girls that would try to hurt anyone. Remember meeting Ruby and Mulan, when I was moving, and Aurora?" she asked. "Those are the women I dance with. Ruby is my best friend, can you imagine her letting anyone hurt me?" The little boy shook his head. Ruby had made quite an impression on him, getting down on the floor and pretending to be a wolf chasing him through the forest of boxes. "And you know Abby, too. She's the boss, she would never let anyone in who would hurt us or do bad things," she said as she tucked the brownies in the oven.

He seemed to think about it for a few moments. "Okay," he said. "I didn't much like the movie, except the costumes anyway. I mean, it was all about girls and girls are yucky. Well, not you, Belle. Grandpa loves you, and you make brownies, so you're alright."

"I am glad that is settled," Gold said, trying not to laugh. "Let's go watch the rest of the movie."

"Bowl," Henry reminded them and then added, "Please?" Belle handed the metal mixing bowl over and the boy started to lock the edge but then stopped as if reminded of something. "Grandpa, what was the thing that they were supposed to be doing with the ice?" 

 

It was late when Bae finally made it home from the opening. The apartment smelled of brownies and the television was turned to classical music. He was unsurprised to find his father on the couch, Belle curled up at his side. Emma had called him and briefed him on her break. As he put his keys down, he saw them stir. 

"He asleep?" the young man asked.

"Like a log," his father responded, standing slowly. 

"We made brownies," Belle added as she stretched and stifled a yawn.

"I can smell them. Any left for me?"

"In the container on the counter," she said. 

"I hope that..." Bae said, looking at Belle a little uncomfortably. He'd never minded anything about Belle, not her age, certainly not her dancing, she made his father happier than he had ever been, but this wasn't something he'd been expecting, or at least not for several more years. 

"It's all taken care of, nothing to worry about," she said with a smile. 

"But I'd be thinking about a long talk with the Darlings..."

"Is already scheduled for tomorrow. Emma called them, we're getting together. Elizabeth had no idea that Wendy was having them over at all when they weren't home, much less while she was babysitting. She's not allowed to have any friends when she's watching her brothers, let alone Henry."

"Best do, sounds like those lads are a bad lot," Robert said as he gathered their coats and helped Belle on with hers and hugs were exchanged. 

"Thanks Papa," he said as they stepped out. 

"Not at all, son," he said turning, but before he left he stopped. "Oh, Bae?" His son looked at him. "I left you to explain about the bloody ice," he said as he slipped his arm around Belle. He wasn't going to let his son out of all the awkward part.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to tinuviel_undomiel for the prompt and BardicRaven for the beta. Please read and enjoy. This fic ended up going places I never expected but I hopeyouenjoy the ride. One of the quotesiscompletely stolen from my friend's nephew who somehow transforms into my nephew when he does something wierd. Disclaimer- I saw Showgirls when it first came out and not all the way through so there you go.


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